Weeding-hoe.



Patented Oct. 3 1899.

F. n. WILLIAMS. WEEDING HOE.

(Appliqation filed. Sept; 7, 1898.)

(No Model.)

wihyasses U ITED STATES PATENT rincn.

FRED D. l/VILLIAMS, OF COOPERSTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA.

WEEDlNG-HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,158, dated October3, 1899.

Application filed September '7, 1898. Serial No. 690,429. (No model.)

To cLZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED D. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cooperstown, in the county of Griggs and State of NorthDakota, have invented a new and useful Weeding-Hoe, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in agricultural implements of thatclass known as weeding-hoes and the object in view is to provide asimple and cheap construction adapted for cutting the roots of weedsbelow the surface of the soil without liability of choking or cloggingthe implements blades with the earth, especially when used in heavy wetsoil.

With this end in view the invention consists of a three-armed head orhanger, a V- shaped central blade secured to the middle arm of thehanger, and side blades fast with the lateral branches of the hanger andarranged in the horizontal plane of the V-shaped central blade to lie onopposite sides of the crown thereof and form spaces between the side andcentral blades.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the inven tion, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanying drawin gs,formin g a part of thisspecification, and in whichw Figure 1 is a perspective View of theimplement. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section through thehanger, showing the blades in' elevation.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide a three-arm head orhanger 10, which consists of a central member 11 and the branches 12 18.These branches may be in tegral with the central member, but, as shownby the drawings, the branches are in separate pieces from the hanger andare rigidly united thereto, as by welding the parts together. Theforward extremity of the central member 11 is extended beyond the jointwith the side branches to form the tang 14, adapted to be inserted inthe lower end of the staff or handle 15. The central member ofthe hangeris arched or curved from the joint with the side members, and thelateral branches diverge in inclined positions from the opposite sidesof the central member. These lateral branches are also arched or curved,and their lower rear ends lie in the same horizontal plane as thecorresponding end of the central member 11, the terminals of the threemembers being in the same plane transversely of the implement-head.

16 is the central blade, which consists of the diverging wings 17 18,which lie at an angle to each other and give to the blade asubstantially V-shaped appearance. This centralblade is united rigidlyin a suitable way, as at 19, to the lowerextremity of the middle archedmember 11 of the head, and the crown or crest 20 of this central bladelies in the median line of the implement. The blade occupies asubstantially horizontal position, and each wing thereof has cuttingedges 21 on its front and rear sides.

To the lateral branches 12 13 of the hanger or head are secured the sidecutters 22 23,

which lie in the horizontal plane of the central blade. Each side cutteris fastened or united at a point at or near its middle to the lowerextremity of one of the side branches,

as at 24, and'the front edge of said side outter has a cutting edge 25,the terminals of which are beveled at 26 27 on lines approaching thecentral cutter. Each side cutter is furthermore provided with 'bevels 28on the edge thereof adjacent to the central blade, and these bevelededges are inclined to produce cutting edges which are opposed to thefront cutting edges of the central blade. The side cutters are attachedto the lateral branches of the head to lie on opposite sides of thecrest or apex of the V-shaped central blade; but the rear edges 28 ofthe side outters are spaced with relation to the front edges of thecentral cutter, so as to leave openings or spaces between theinclinedtors are severed by the wings of the central cutter. By spacingthe side cutters 011 opposite sides of the crest of the V-shaped cutterthe implement is adapted to out all the roots which may lie in the pathof the blades, and the crest of the central cutter is thus adapted tooperate in the space between the side cutters, thus giving to the bladesof the imple ment maximum efliciency. The bevels on the front and rearedges of the side cutters produce points at the extremities of saidcutters, and these pointed ends enable the cutters to readily penetratethe soil.

My implement has its blades provided with beveled cutting edges at thefront and rear sides thereof, and these blades are thus brought intoservice on the forward and backward movement of the implement. As a rulethe implement is operated by drawing it to ward the operator; but incutting between rows of plants the operator sometimes works theimplement back and forth in order to loosen the soil around the roots ofthe plants. Under this condition and operation of the implement thecutting edges at front and rear of the blades are of special utility,inasmuch as said edges sever the roots of weeds and the like on eachstroke or movement of the implement, whether it be in a forward orbackward direction. It will be observed that each of the blades lies ina position oblique to the line of the stroke or movement, and theworking edges of the said blade operate to sever the roots with a drawor shear cut.

My implement has its blades arranged to penetrate the soil and cut theroots of weeds below the surface of the earth, thus leaving the soil ina loosened condition around the plants for the free penetration ofmoisture to the roots of such plants.

The implement is simple in construction, and it may be mannfact n redand sold at a low price. It is efficient in operation, and its bladesare arranged for the operator to have ready access to the cutting edgesfor sharpening the same. 7

Changes may be made in the form of some of the parts, while theiressential features are retained and the spirit of the inventionembodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of allthe parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A weeding-hoeconsisting of a staff, a three-armed hanger fastened to the staff, amiddle blade fastened to one hanger-arm to lie at an angle to the axisof the staff and having the double inclined cutting edge, and the sideblades fastened to the other hanger-arms and lying in the same planewith the middle blade, said side blades being arranged in front of themiddle blade, 011 opposite sides of the apex thereof, and each havingthe cutting edges atits front and rear edges, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

2. A weeding-hoe consisting of a staff, a three-armed hanger fastenedthereto and having the terminal of its middle arm at one side of thestraight line joining the terminals of its outer arms, a middle V-shapedblade fastened to the central hanger-arm to lie at an angle to the axisof said stalf and having the cutting edges on its front and rear edgesand the double-edged side blades attached to the side hanger-arms to liein the same plane with the middle blade and arranged in advance, and onopposite sides of, said middle blade to leave the intervening throats orspaces between the cutting edges of said blades, the inner ends of theside cutters being in advance of the outer ends of the V-shaped middleblade, substantially as described.

3, A weeding-hoe consisting of a staff, a three-armed hanger fastenedthereto, a V- shaped middle blade secured to the central hanger-arm andhaving the inclined cutting edges at the front and rear thereof, and thedouble-edged side cutters fastened to the side hanger-arms to lie in theplane with, and in advance of, the middle blade to form the interveningthroats or spaces between the cutting edges of said blades, the innerend of each side blade having the beveled edge, 28, and situated in aplane between the apex and one end of said middle blade, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED D. XVILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

M. W. BUCK, P. R. FURBSHAW.

